Borg Vs. McEnroe Trailer: Shia LaBeouf Is a Tennis Legend

11 months ago

A new trailer for Borg vs. McEnroe has arrived online. Sports movies have long been a staple in Hollywood and often go on to become some of the best movies the industry has to offer. Specifically, we often get the chance to see actors deliver excellent and memorable performances in sports movies. Such may be the case with Shia LaBeouf, who stars as tennis legend John McEnroe in the movie, going up against his real-life rival Björn Borg, played here by Sverrir Gudnason. Could this be the beginning of a career renaissance for LaBeouf? Or at the very least, a good performance not overshadowed by his off-screen antics?

This new trailer for Borg Vs. McEnroe makes tennis look surprisingly intense and cinematic. There have been quite a few improbable sports movies over the years, with Moneyball somehow making the science behind putting together a modern baseball team quite exciting, as just one example of how the unconventional sports movie can really work. This is an effective trailer and makes it look like this could be some of Shia LaBeouf’s best acting work in a long time. He’s shown lots of promise in the past, but his antics have often kept him from becoming a more potent force in the business.

Borg Vs. McEnroe tells the story of the epic rivalry between Swedish tennis legend Björn Borg and his greatest adversary, the brash American John McEnroe, which came to a head during the 1980 Wimbledon Championships. In the trailer, their differences are summed up in their playing styles as “the baseline player and the net rusher.” The trailer also does a great job of showing how McEnroe became much more famous for his outbursts rather than actually being a great tennis player. Similar to how LaBeouf has become famous for his bizarre outbursts and unfortunate public displays, as opposed to his on-screen work. That makes the casting pretty perfect.

Shia LaBeouf recently spoke a bit about the movie with Esquire saying, “McEnroe was a master at his rage. I’m a buffoon. My public outbursts are failures. They’re not strategic. They’re a struggling motherf****r showing his ass in front of the world.” He also said, “I’m a terrible used-car salesman. I have no interest in tennis. Zero. I only hate it more since having done this film. It’s an elitist sport.” Despite his lack of ability as a pitchman, his performance has earned praise so far as a highlight in Borg Vs. McEnroe, which currently has a 79 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie, which also stars Stellan Skarsgard and hails from director Janus Metz (Expedition to the End of the World), is set for release on April 13. Borg Vs. McEnroe will be given a limited theatrical release and will also be available on VOD platforms. Will this be the first great tennis biopic? Can this be the first movie in what will eventually be looked at as the Shia LaBeouf renaissance? We’ll find out soon enough. Be sure to check out the brand new trailer for Borg Vs. McEnroe, courtesy of the Neon YouTube channel, for yourself below.